About Chasmanthe floribunda (Salisb.) N.E.Br.
Chasmanthe floribunda (Salisb.) N.E.Br. is a deciduous geophyte, a perennial herbaceous plant that grows from a corm. It forms clumps of long, narrow leaves, and produces one thin, tall erect stem; the entire plant reaches a height of 50 to 120 cm. Its underground tubers are 6 to 7 cm in diameter. This species puts on new vegetative growth in winter, flowers in spring, and stays dormant through the summer. In the Western Cape, South Africa, it emerges from the ground in autumn after the first winter rains. The plant is endemic to Cape Province, South Africa, but has been introduced to other regions with similar climate, and is now naturalized in California, Algeria, Australia, Argentina, and St. Helena. For cultivation, it grows well in full sun or shade, requires very well-drained soil and a full sun location. It can be propagated easily: it produces bulblets around the original corm, and also multiplies from seed. Sunbirds frequently visit this plant to feed on its nectar when it is in active growth.
